


Autumn Skies

by AlwaysCastle



Category: Castle
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Humor, Drama, F/M, Family, Fate, Gen, Love, Romance, Suspense, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-04
Updated: 2012-06-09
Packaged: 2017-11-06 20:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/423038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysCastle/pseuds/AlwaysCastle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The effects of the decisions these two make in the next few hours, will force their individual strands to twine together. They will live with the understanding that their worlds will forever be linked by the product of their choices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

In New York City, a man and a woman wake from a night of restless slumber. They lead different lives... and yet they are universally interconnected. Their unrelated lives are bound by the same string of cosmic relief, despite the complexities life has thrown at them. They are unaware that soon their lives will intersect in a matter in which neither will expect. We are bound by our choices.. in such a way, that if we were allowed to go back and change one thing, however small, or unimportant, our entire lives as we know it would change.

There is an order to things, and whether we make our own decisions our not, it's the results that could perhaps define us. Whatever it may be, call it Fate, or Kismet...the effects of the decisions these two make in the next few hours, will force their individual strands to twine together. They will face the toughest of choices and the greatest of triumphs, but more than anything, they will live with the understanding that their worlds will forever be linked by the product of their choices. Lives defined by their own free will...

And it's without this knowledge that the woman turns over in bed. Away from the unwanted warmth beside her to stare off at the window, with it's curtains drawn. Only a small bit of light peaks through, and she's never felt more anxious for a new day. A new start. She looks over her shoulder at the form beside her. And although it's deliciously warm where she lays, the body she shares her bed with gives her no comfort, nor stability his arms once held for her... making it that much easier to slip out of bed and into the chilly air of her bedroom.

Her bare feet hit the cold wood floor, and she curls her toes, cringing lightly with a shiver. Wrapping her arms around her bare shoulders, she walks on the balls of her feet to the bathroom mere feet away, and relishes in the soft rug in front of the sink.

"Oh, Kate," she sighs as she shakes her head at her appearance. Her green eyes stare back. Dull, even her flecks of brown have lost their spark. She feels haggard as she pulls at the blackish skin under her eyes. Pure evidence of her insomnia and lack of any kind of relaxation.

Her brown hair lays limp and lifeless around her face, and she tucks it all behind her ears, feeling the greasy texture. She makes a face in disgust, and leans closer to the mirror. Blinking a few times, she just stares at herself. This unidentified woman. Who is she these days? With everyday the past few weeks bleeding into the next, she thinks she's lost a bit of herself along the way. She really doesn't know anymore. And she's too tired at the moment to find out.

A sound from her room startles her. She freezes, fingers tense at her cheek bones, while her eyes snap to the doorway. She listens, hearing the bed springs and then a groan, then nothing. She lets her hands drop to the sink with a sigh before glaring at herself over her small panic, and then tip toes to the door to shut it. She's back at the sink. Listening for more sounds, and then refocuses on her reflection. Her hands grip the counter with white knuckles as she leans in until her nose touches the cold glass. Her eyes unfocus and refocus, but she still looks the same. The same over-tired, over-worked Kate. But she won't change that. Her job is everything, and anyone who's been around her should know that.

And yet...

She sighs. Closing her eyes for the briefest of moments as if to gather herself, and then spins around to turn on the shower. She pulls a soft green towel from her closet. Holding it to her face, she breathes in the smells of fabric softener. For some reason it soothes her for the moment, making her eyes close involuntarily. It's the building heat and steam of the shower in the confined space that wakes her. With another sigh, hopefully the last one for the day, she climbs in and hopes that the stress of her life will stay itself behind the wall. She gets into the shower realizing after a moment that it's highly unlikely.

~~~

He stirs, the cosmic pull of events still unknown to him as he wakes. He turns over blinking his eyes up at the ceiling. The little bit of light peaking in from the window, casts a sharp line across his line of sight. He swings his arm out beside him, finding it empty and he's still unsure about how he feels about it. Whether he prefers the cold space his hand finds, to the body that use to fill it. He brings his hand back to rest on his stomach under the sheets, wishing he could stay in bed all day. Feeling like it's almost not worth it. Almost. But he does eventually, and reluctantly he slips out from under the space only his warmth provided and out into the cold air of his bedroom.

His bare feet hit the cool floor beneath, aiding in the waking up processes as he makes his way to his bathroom. Rubbing a hand over his face, and into his messy brown hair, he soon opens his eyes to his tired reflection. He leans in a little closer.

"Wake up, Rick," he demands of himself, slapping either cheek, trying to shake the sleep from his wary mind.

His blue eyes stare back, less piercing, not condoning the fun loving man he's supposed to be playing. When did this happen? He narrows his eyes, his hair falling in a mess over his forehead. He grimaces, as a feeling of discontentment washes over him and he rubs at his growing stubble. He wonders if it will ever change, if he can find that man he's wanted to be. But somehow he's gotten lost in all the jumbled expectations.

He hears a sound from upstairs. He pauses, his hand still on his scruff, while his eyes look towards the door. He listens, hearing a running feet, a small laugh, and then nothing. He lets his hand drop to the counter, with a sigh of relief before staring down his bleary image at his small panic. He pads to the door, closing it to a crack, and then turns back to the mirror. He stays still for another moment, and when nothing further filters through the crack in the door, he grips the sink. He looks, stone faced at himself, waiting for... something. But nothing happens. He still looks like the same emotionally and physically tired Rick. And some of that might change. He has something very dear to him, that depends on him a great deal.

His everything...

He sighs. Closing his eyes from a small moment, as if preparing himself, and then turns around to turn on the shower. He gets a soft blue towel from the closet, holding it to his face. It feels nice against his face, wrought with insomnia. It soothes him for the time being, until he breaths it in. It smells like her... He growls, throwing it onto the counter before stepping into the steam of the shower already fogging up the mirrors. He hopes that the small amount of time he will spend in here, will fog up enough of his brain to help him cope. But as the scolding water bites at his skin, he doesn't find that likely.

~~~

Her curtains are pulled back when she walks out of the bathroom in her soft towel. Droplets cling to her skin, chilling in the air of her room, and rising goosebumps on her flesh. But the sun warms her on her way by it to the bed. The bed is empty with the covers drawn back so far it irritates her. She grits her teeth, hearing him banging around in the kitchen, and goes about her morning ritual. The smell of cherries fills the space around her as she stands at her dresser. Pulling out a few articles of clothing, she throws them onto the bed before she ties her hair up into a tight bun, so tight it hurts.

She lets her hands rest forcefully on the top of the dresser with a sigh. She just can't help it. Wishes this day would be over. And it's early. First bad sign of the day... When this part of her life is over and done with, she needs to do something to get some of her control back... or maybe lose control...just something, anything to make her feel more alive and less suffocated and claustrophobic. That's what this relationship feels like these days. Weighing her down and drowning her in the unknown instead of making her feel happy and free like it used to.

She wipes a hand over her eyes, needing coffee to help with that last bit of drowsiness, and opens her small jewelry box. She delicately removes her mothers ring, ducking her head to place it over and around her neck. The cold metal rests against her skin, sending a shiver though her body, as if she can feel her mothers' presence. Kate stares at the ring resting there through her reflection in the mirror, taking in deep breaths and then dropping her eyes back to the box. Her fathers watch. She fastens it around her wrist and then dresses for a long hectic day at work.

She holsters her gun at her hip, opening the door and leaning against it as she lifts one leg, pulling on her heel, and then the other. All the while looking at the floor and avoiding him all together. But once her foot meets the ground, heels on and ready for work... He can't keep quiet anymore.

"Are we going to talk about this?" he asks as she walks past him to pour herself a cup of coffee.

She takes a long sip, staring out into the living room. She cradles the hot cup to her chest with both hands, the flesh of her palms nearly burning. "There is nothing to talk about, Will." Her voice is even. Having thought about this to the point where she wants this to just stop. Be over so she can move on. Even though her speedy process won't make it any less painful.

She looks over her shoulder at him. He's standing with his own cup in one hand, the other outstretched and resting on the side of the fridge. "Kate," he protests, hand slipping down as he steps closer.

She takes a step back, staring at his chest clad in a black FBI t-shirt. It's her favorite shirt. She eternally shakes herself. "No, you are going to take that job, it's a good opportunity, and I won't keep you from that." His hair sticks up adorably, and she resists the urge to go to him, and feed her fingers through it.

Will sighs. He knows how stubborn she is.

"Bye, Will." Kate turns away from him, placing the cup into the sink and walking to the door for her keys and coat. Her heels click, sharply, like her tongue when she speaks to him.

"Kate, come on." He sounds defeated and yet still tries anyway. His attempts are futile.

She spins around, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face in irritation. "We both know I love my job too much to leave." They both also know that this is more about her mothers' unsolved case than anything else.

"Just think about it."

"I have thought about it! God, Will! Just go. Can you please just go? Leave your key on the counter, get your stuff, and lock up on your way out." Without anything further, she swipes her keys from the table by the door and slams it behind her on her way out.

~~~

Rick walks into his room, towel drying his hair as he goes. Throwing the towel onto the floor somewhere, he tries not to look at the empty bed as he steps into his closet. What to wear? Does it need to be sharp? He just wants to swap a pair of dress pants for sweats, and a suit jacket for a t shirt. But he can't. He hangs his choice on the back of the door, pulling on a t shirt for now, and a pair of pj pants. With a grim sigh, he exits his room and into the study. It's warmer in here than in his room, the windows large, inviting in the sun of the early morning. But it's pleasant shine does not alter his current dark mood.

He can hear his mother's door open on the second floor as he takes a seat at his desk. This buys him a little more time to end this. It's over... or at least it will be when he signs the papers. At the moment the manilla folder stares up at him from it's cold place on the desk resting in his laptop. His brow creases severely, as he grabs the thing, opening the annoying little accusing clasp and pulling the papers from inside. He grabs a pen, nearly knocking the cup that holds the rest over, and hovers his hand over the place that demands his signature.

The sound of a small laugh and the gentle sooth of his mother reaches his ear. His heart clenches, and his eyes cast downwards, blurring at the words on the page. What will this do to them? He can't help but go through all the scenarios. This is not one of those things he can fix like in his books. He can't rewrite their story, or create a new ending. It's just one of the many things he has no control over...And he needs to get some of that back. Maybe it's better this way. He knows he didn't do anything wrong... well... not that he knows of. He tried. But maybe it's just her. She couldn't handle them. She's too flighty and carefree to be tied down by anything. But did she have to cheat on him?

"Richard?" He startles. Looking up to find his mother peering around the door.

"Give me a minute," he says, his voice icy, but he hopes she knows that he does not mean it.

She nods her head, pursing her lips and giving him a look of sympathy before ducking back out. He drops his head into his hands. Elbows on the desk and sighs loudly and aggravatingly into his hands. He gives himself just a moment. Thinking about this. And then his head comes out of his hands with determination. There is nothing else to think about.

With a firm nod at his inner agreement, Rick pushes pen to paper, and signs his name on the line without regrets. He crosses the T, and dots the I, before sliding the paper back into the folder with a sense of finality, before getting up from his desk. He grasps the folder in one hand, pushing his hair away from his forehead, and leaving his study. He throws the document onto the kitchen counter, and takes the stairs two at a time.

~~~

Both doors swing open to the morgue, flying violently back as she quickly steps away from them and jumps up onto an empty autopsy table. The ME turns around in her chair, startled. Once she takes in the strained expression of the brunette, she tilts her head to one side and lets her shoulders sag.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she offers, knowing there is not much else she can give.

Kate shrugs, eyes cast downwards at her fathers watch, which she twists around and around. "Was only a matter of time," she finally says, her voice strong. She looks up, meeting the soft brown eyes of her friend, and shrugs again.

"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," she replies, leaning forward in her swivel chair.

"Oh, it hurts alright," she says, an edge in her voice; an underlying rasp with the need to cry behind it.

The ME regards her for a moment. Even though Kate is here for some emotional support... her wall is still up, and she's utterly guarded. That wont change. It's all over her face and in her posture. Stiff back, tense jaw. But it's her eyes that give her away. Tired and defeated. They don't shine like they used to. At least, as much as the medical examiner has ever seen. But she knows that the true light has been missing for a very long time.

"What do I do now, Lanie?" Kate finally asks.

Lanie lets a diabolic grin spread across her dark skin. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she stands up, walking over and leaning her hip on the table next to Kate. Kate's eyes grow wide in alarm, as Lanie's eyebrow corks up at her own inner amusement. She places one hand on her hip, while the other tugs playfully at the bun of Kate's head.

"Now, we let our hair down."

~~~

"Hi, Pumpkin." Rick holds his arms out for his 7 year old daughter.

"Daddy!" She runs over from playing with her dollhouse, and fixes her father with an adorable smile, arms out yawning. He lifts her up, kissing her little heart shaped face, and smoothing her flaming red hair from her forehead. She laughs as he hugs her to him. A little more than usual. She is all he has now.

"You'll be all right," his mother says from the doorway.

Rick holds his daughter out to fully look at her. His heart already repairing itself. Looking at her now, he knows they can make it. She is everything he's ever wanted. And he never knew it until she was born. This tiny human being he helped create. So what if her mother is too dense to see it. She doesn't deserve this beautiful little girl.

His little girl reaches out a hand, pushing at the hair flopped on his forehead. He laughs, taking in every line of her face, the joy in her eyes. Her blues show him a love he will never receive from anyone else. This is unconditional. It's not stilted, or forced. Her love is innocent and everything that should be right in this world. And he's not going to let the follies of others tare him down, or keep him from loving her all the same.

"I know."


	2. Chapter One

Kate can feel the beat in her bones the second her and Lanie step into the club. She's already swaying her hips, and moving her body in time. The lights are low, casting blues and greens over the crowd. Kate smiles over at the medical examiner, who's got this saucy, primal look on her face as she surveys the crowd. Her eyebrows raised, lips pursed as if stiflingly the need to moan at her own expectations. Kate's thinking more along the lines of how easy it would be to get lost in here.

She bumps Lanie at her side and the two hit the bar first, wanting to scope out the place and throw back a few before really letting lose. She sets up on a stool, pulling the hem of her dress down, if you can call it that, and orders a drink. She's wearing a fitting green halter dress, cut low in the back and the thing barely covers half her thighs. Lanie is already flirting with the bartender and hands Kate a drink. The two look at each other, out at the other dancers and patrons looking for a little fun, and then back at each other. They clink their glasses and knock them back at the same time.

~~~

Rick has been here about half an hour. He tips back his glass, downing the rest of it and slamming it onto the bar for another. He's a free man as of 1 o'clock this afternoon. And after spending a good part of the day with his daughter. He threw on a pair of dark blue jeans and a midnight blue dress shirt, and then left her with the babysitter. Now he has found himself here.

There is a pretty blonde a few stools down giving him the eyes, but he's not all that interested, like he would normally be. And yes, he may be a bachelor again. But he can't seem to get himself into it. The beat is perfect. He can feel it coaxing him out onto the dance floor, like this blonde seems to be doing with her come hither good looks. But maybe he's not ready yet, or maybe he just hasn't had enough to drink. So he orders another one. His body is relaxing now, becoming less reluctant, and more willing to press up against another body. The idea of it being with a complete stranger perks him up, and he's slightly surprised at himself. This want to just...connect, with a nameless face. Maybe that's the control he was earlier seeking.

~~~

Kate has lost Lanie within the first twenty minutes of arriving. She thinks she spots her with a man or two near the middle of the dance floor. Moving between them in her tight blue..strip of fabric, and Kate smiles, loving the beat, and the atmosphere. It's been a while since she's done this, and being newly single means she can hit this scene more often when not dealing with the harsher realities of life. This could be her escape she thinks, as she throws back another shot, and slips from the stool. She's in motion once her heels hit the glowing dance floor, and she finds herself weaving into the crowd with no real destination.

~~~

He eternally berates himself.

Get in the game.

He's rich, successful, who wouldn't want him? But perhaps that's the wrong approach. Sure it's gotten him plenty of woman in the past.. including his now ex wife Meredith. But perhaps he needs a new angle... just.. get out there and, what? Just be?

Yeah. He nods at himself. Just go out there and...

He sees her the moment he turns from the bar. He is sure he is seeing the most beautiful creature he has ever beheld, and she's on the other side of the club. Her dress is barely there, and now neither is he. She's moving in sync to the beating of his heart. And something inside him seems to click into place. She appears almost as if she doesn't belong in a place like this... With her angelic face, and gorgeous brunette hair. The way she moves, effortless and free, draws him right in, and he finds himself out of his own stool, and making his way towards her.

She slides her hand up her side, patting her hand to the beat pulsing in her blood. She dips, and rises on her left hip, moving along like an ocean wave into the throng of other dancers. She closes her eyes, moving her head from one side to the other, her hand traveling slowly up, as though a caress from a lover, and into her hair. She pushes it up and over, hand traveling down the back of her head to then slide down to her hip. Her head snaps to one side, eyes opening to see she's been spotted. Probably by more than one hungry guy in this club... but she only has eyes for him.

Her skin is pulsating. Thrumming in her every nerve and waking all her other senses. It's electrifying, this feeling as she almost pauses in her erotic dance. She feels a call, somewhere in her body, be it her heart, her soul, or something more cardinal. But she finds herself wanting to migrate towards the source. Feel it's hum against her inner vibrations.

She looks at him and his heart stops completely. She is stunning and he feels his confidence building. He continues on his way towards her until she is nearly pressed against him, and asks her to dance. It's a wordless question, with an equally silent answer as she smiles wickedly at him, draping a hand over his shoulder, and moving in time to the music. Her body barely touching him, yet close enough to tease. He can feel the heat and passion emanating from her delicious curves. She is an amazing dancer, sexy as hell, and a little bit of a minx. He can't help himself much longer and his hands find her waist as they sway to the rhythm of the music.

She doesn't let the spark his touch ignites show on her face. Instead she lets her eyes wander his face, his stubble, which she's always found unbelievably sexy on a man. His chest is strong under her light touch, and her eyes drink him in. They travel down to his waist, and further on until her eyes come back up. She likes what she sees and so she presses a little further into him, letting the music flow through them as one.

His hand finds her back, while the other stays firmly planted on her waist. The song is upbeat and they can tell there is a spark between them and it's urging them on. He's feeling bold, she can tell from the devilish grin on his ruggedly handsome face. She's not surprised, if not maybe from the force, as he swiftly turns her in his grasp and wraps his arms around her stomach.

Her stomach coils under his large hand, and she turns her head to the side, brushing her hair against his face. Her breathing becomes shallow and now she's pressing back into him at the same time as she dips low, arching her back slightly and coming back up with a sway to the left. Hips connecting with any part of him she can reach. Then to the right. Back up again. She tries to ignore the feeling in her gut. It's more than arousal, more then just the feel of his body moving perfectly with hers. And if she ponders it further, she might get skittish.

Her hair smells like cherries as she presses back into him. It clouds his mind, letting his other senses take over. She's extraordinary under his touch, her body the perfect shape as she moves with him. There is no one else in this room right now, just them. He eyes the dip where her neck meets her shoulder, sees the perfect skin in the dancing lights and tightens his hold, wanting to touch more of her. When her back arches as she comes back up one last time, he takes command, pulling her firmly against him. His hands snake to her sides and run upwards as his hips move in rhythm to the music vibrating from her lithe body. His palms rub down her sides and he feels her shudder against his tingling flesh. When they reach her hips, he moves her as they dance to their own music.

She feels it deep within a part of her she didn't know existed when his hands pull her along to his movements. Guiding her against his body, and she shudders once more, turning her head from one side, to the other, before nearly resting it against his shoulder. She can feel his hot breath on her neck, and her body heats at his touch. Her skin flushes, temperature rising to a near fever, and her heart quickens in time with the beat, his hands slithering over her, and she wishes it wasn't the fabric of her dress he was caressing, but skin. Hot, burning flesh.

This is an all together new feeling for him. Touching this nameless woman in a way he's never touched anyone else. And there are still articles of clothing between them. He closes his eyes, his body reacting, fully aware of her shape pressed into him. When he opens his eyes, he sees her neck is at his disposal, her scent assaulting his nose. She is nowhere and everywhere around him and he needs more. His hands tighten on her, and he already wants to feast on her neck. He thrills at the thought of running his lips across the bumps caused by his breath. And she is letting him lead, so he can't disappoint, can he?

He slowly moves his hands up her body and pulls her hair to one side, tickling her neck. His mouth hovers over her skin, it's radiating heat, and he blows softly on her neck as if to cool her down. When she shivers against him, he lets his lips taste the dip he's been eying. She gasps and grinds back into him. His hands find hers at her side, and together they move as he surely leaves his mark on her.

She bites her lip, holding back a moan, and tilts her head to one side for him to have better access. When she feels his lips at her ear, her hand comes up behind them to grip the back of his head. His hair feels glorious against her finger tips. His fingers find her elbow then snake their way down her body, pressing his strong arm into her and just brushing past her breast. It travels further along her toned feminine form, his other hand firmly planted on her stomach, as he continues to nip at the delectable skin of her neck. They are both a little light-headed from the alcohol and the heat, but her face is clearly flushed for other reasons. So is his. As his breathing hitches, he soon finds himself in great need of her lips.

She can sense his need at her back, the ripple of his muscles as he holds her like she's never been held before. And he's just some stranger in a club. But he ignites something in her, knotting the need deep and tightly in her abdomen. She needs him like no other, so she spins around, facing him. Her hand on the back of his neck curls in the hair there while she advances. Hips grinding into his, her dark brown-green eyes dart from his brilliant blue eyes to his lips that were just feasting on her neck, back and forth until her hungry eyes linger on his mouth. She licks her lips.

The leer she is giving him could destroy worlds and end wars. He feels no hesitation as his hands find her soft and luscious hair, and he claims her lips with his. She is a maelstrom of emotion and heat, and he struggles to keep up. Her tongue darts out of her mouth and dances with his. The perfect contrast to the movement of their bodies to the forgotten beat of the club and he finds she's taken control now completely. His hands are trying to consume every part of her. Her ass is his final destination though, and it does not disappoint.

She moans into his mouth, tasting his liquor on his tongue as it mixes with hers. She nearly forgets herself as she pulls him in closer, hands yanking him in by the collar of his shirt. She kisses him with such force, it's as though she's breathing him into her. Lips fused to his as if anchoring her down. Fingers digging into his scalp, body melded to his. When she remembers where they are, she loosens her hold on him. Her mouth goes to his ear, and she pulls his lobe between her teeth before whispering.

"My place or yours?"

More beautiful words have never been spoken. He shivers at her purr, her obvious bedroom voice but he doesn't want this to be a one night stand. As they lean back, his eyes capture in hers and he just has to have this extraordinary woman. Her place...women love their first encounters with a new man in their own bed. And she can't run from him if they go there. He pulls away from her, takes her hand as he leads her out of the club and into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated Mature

They hit the bed, both frantic and unhurried, reveling in the taste and smell of each other as hot seeking flesh finds it's twin flame. His hands grab hers as he hovers over her, his mouth finding the spot on her neck that he's already learned drives her wild.

As her heart beats with his, the music still humming in their bones, she panics, just for a moment. She is much more sober than him, and she almost feels as if she is taking advantage of him... In the comfort his body provides her. She wonders whether this is right. But as his hands slip up her sides, every last shred of clothing gone in a blur of need and want, and something truly undefined... she throws her cares into the wind, and allows herself to completely bask in the feel of his tongue and lips as they suck on those parts of her neck. His presence alone elicits the greatest of moans from her lips. He wants this, just as she does.

They don't speak, both afraid to break the spell. Just move, and guide each other like before. It feels so natural and meant to be. The pull is so much greater in this moment, she feels as if she's floating, and doesn't care if she ever comes back down.

She has always been the one who needs control, who needs to be in charge, and the bedroom is no exception to that rule. But this feels different. This feels so much better. She no longer wants to question it, as she smooths her hands up over his chest. His skin is hot and slick under her touch, and she leans forward, pressing an open mouth kiss to his clavicle before running her tongue alone the bone. She moves upwards until she reaches his jaw, which she nips, and then pulls back with a wicked grin.

He smiles down at her, her dark green eyes swimming in his deep ocean blues. He nearly pauses in those depths, before leaning forward to take one of her breasts into his mouth. The sensation creates an incredible feeling exactly where they should. Her nipples harden as his mouth works wonders on her chest, and her back arches into the pleasure he provides. They are connected, the electricity more a product of them than what they touch.

She needs more. She needs to be closer. She can feel their connection all right, but now she needs to make it more tangible. Feel him as they become one, like on the dance floor. She moves her hands slowly down, igniting flames in her fingertips and surly his skin as he shutters over her. Their chests are almost pressed together, his enticing breath on her face, his breathing residing with hers. The anticipation growing, and they are both nearly there already.

Her arm brushes his stomach until she reaches him. She touches him softly, looking into his eyes as she does so before moving him directly where she needs him. Both their eyes meet, conveying something so primal, and yet so unknown that when he slowly enters her, their eyes close and a gasp leaves both of them breathless. The feeling is incredible, she can't help but moan loudly as she finds a safe haven in him. She can tell he is close, but she gets the distinct impression he is going to wait for her, even in his less than sober state.

He moves into her, with her, like a dance. A Rumba, as they find a sensual rhythm. The crescendo takes them over, diving in each other deeper and deeper. He feels her gasp again, and a tremor rocks her body into his. Her nails dig sharply into his finely toned back, trying to anchor herself down on a wave he's made for her. She claws him, creating red welts that he won't feel or care about later. His mouth finds her neck as he continues his slow and steady pace.

She inhales sharply when he pulls himself up a little, whimpering softly and she bites down on his shoulder when he suddenly sinks in again, slowing his pace. He growls, lifting his head from her neck. The slow friction of their bodies sends shock waves through her every nerve, and she holds on tighter, her lips finding his when their dance turns into a slow moving waltz.

~~~

She's wrapped tightly in her sheets. It's rich and warm in them, her body draped over her pillows, one arm dangling off the bed, while the other rests behind her, near something radiating a lot of heat. A long, pleasurable hum escapes her mouth as she wakes. Yet, her eyes stay closed and she opens her mouth, smacking her lips a few times and tasting.. what is that? A mixture of alcohol and something purely masculine. She turns her face away, breathing in with a small groan and a sleepy smile on her face. Her body aches in all the right places, and this is the best sleep she's had in months.

Letting her eyes flutter open, she finds the curtains are drawn back. Her greens are met with the blinding sunlight forcing it's way in. Kate pulls her hand from the warmth, shielding her eyes and turning over to then collide with a very firm, very warm body. Kate's hand drops from her face, brushing against flesh of her unknown bed companion. His body rises and falls in slumber under her fingertips when she presses them to his spine. As though making sure he is real. The feel of his hot flesh, rises an awareness in her and she blinks a few times.

Oh right.

The club, the dancing, this delicious man.

The heat, passion...something else completely new, and exciting... and now... here they are.

She rolls onto her back, eyes staring up at the ceiling and every now and then flicking to the nameless guy next to her. His back is to her, and from the sharp line the light casts from the window over his muscular frame, she can see the scratch marks her nails left on him the night before. They are deep, and red, harsh in the light, and she can't help but lift her hands in front of her to inspect them. As if she's going to see bits of his skin under her nails.

How much did she drink last night?

She pushes a hand up over her eyes, thinking as she worries her lip between her teeth. Her throbbing, swollen pink flesh feels raw, and warm. As if she was just fused to this man by their lips, tasting every inch of him. And her body feels as though she had just romped in this bed mere minutes ago.

Her head turns on her pillow to the clock on her nightstand. The time does not really register and she can't seem to care at the moment. Blinking at the shining red numbers, she stares back up at the ceiling and she wonders why on earth she's still lying here, and not kicking this man out of her bed. It's as though she's forgotten who she is for the time being. It's not long before her eyes are back on him. That magnetic pull between them evident once again. She just watches this guy sleep. Whoever he is. He looks vaguely familiar, as she traces the line of his jaw with her eyes, pulling her lip further into her mouth. Her body heat rises, and she closes her eyes.

When she opens them again, he is still there. With her sheets draped over him lazily tucked around his midsection, leaving his lower back and arm in full view of her eyes. The more she looks, taking in his broad shoulder and large forearm, those eyes become hungry. They look downward, over his hip covered by the sheet to his ass, unfortunately also concealed, down to his legs. One is wrapped around her sheet, and she can see her comforter has lost some sort of battle and is lying in a heap on the floor.

Her mind wanders. To the club, his touch, his eyes, those looks, the heat... Oh, the heat. She's never experienced anything like it. And it was all there before they even reached this last destination. Tangled in her bedsheets.

Her phone rings.

Kate startles out of her haze as she jumps out of bed, wrapping a sheet around herself and pulling it along with her. She searches frantically for the damn thing, tripping over what she is sure is his pants in the hallway before stumbling into the kitchen and finding her coat draped over the counter. She fishes her hand inside, and pulls it out.

"Beckett?" she says breathlessly, survey her surroundings.

"Girl!" Lanie's excitable voice filters through loudly.

Kate cringes and pulls the phone away from her ear. She spots her bra on the door handle to the closet and she wonders how on earth it got there. "Shh!" she hisses into the phone, chewing on her thumb nail.

"I knew letting your hair down was a good idea!" the saucy ME sing songs.

Speaking of hair. Kate runs her hand through it, getting her fingers caught in multiple knots, and then gives up. "Yes.. uh...hmm." Kate closes her eyes for a moment. She clutches the sheet tighter as it slips, and bits and pieces of the night before enter her mind.

"So, who is was that guy I saw you leave with?" Lanie then asks.

Kate opens her eyes, which land on the door leading out of her apartment. She nearly gasps at the memory. How they were all teeth and tongue in the elevator, hands everywhere and then fumbling with the lock as he nibbled on her neck. And then when they finally got inside, he nearly took her against the door.

"Earth to Beckett."

"What?.. oh.. I don't know." She grins at herself. Self satisfied for some reason.

"You don't even know his name! Oh, Girl!" Lanie shrieks.

"Shh!"

"He's still there? You know.. .I saw you dancing with him.. and then leave, hastily I might add." Kate can almost hear her eyebrow raise deviously. Lanie continues. " And he sort of reminds me of Richard Castle."

Kate eyes her bedroom door, walking on the balls of her feet to peer around at him.

"You know... the novelist?" Lanie prompts when Kate says nothing.

She's too busy staring at his bare ass. He has shifted in his sleep, and the rest of the covers have fallen to the floor. "Huh?" Her mouth is agape, remembering how he felt cupped in her hands as they...

"Rich-ard Cas-le," Lanie enunciates. "Are you still drunk?" she then asks, amusement dripping off her tongue.

"No." Kate turns away from the naked man in her bed, her finger at her mouth again. "I hardly had anything to drink.. I was.. dunk on..." She looks over at him again, his face has turned towards her now and his mouth is partly open. Her face flushes, her neck tingling. "Something else." Her brow creases in thought as she stares at this mans face.

And then she's padding quickly to her book shelf and pulling the first one of many out. She stares at the back of the book. Her mouth dropping open as she's again moving swiftly through her apartment, trampling over her dress and falling into her doorway. She lifts the book up, eye level with the man in her bed. Her eyes grow wide and she nearly drops the book.

"Lanie!" she hisses. "I slept with Richard freaking Castle!"

Lanie laughs. "Who are you and what have you done to Kate Beckett?" she then asks.

"I don't know," Kate replies, the book now cradled to her chest.. "But she's slowly returning. I'll see you in a little while."

"How are you going to get him ou-"

Kate hangs up. She rests the phone on her lips, staring at The Richard Castle, butt naked in her bed, and then to his clothes thrown about her apartment. It was definitely a ravenous battle of two bodies trying to connect in the most cardinal of ways...and more.

Her face flushes, and her legs weaken at the knees.

What to do, what to do?

She's shaking now, not sure if she's going into shock or not. She finally moves from the door, picking up his clothes with shaking hands. She stands next to her bed arms full of Richard Castle's clothing... her favorite author the man who...

She tightens her hold on his clothes and resists the urge to smell them. Like some fangirl, and then throws them into a pile next to him before forcing herself away from the temptation to slither back into that bed. To wake him up properly... she shakes her head, inwardly cursing herself and swiftly turning away with a heavy sigh to get into the shower.

~~~

Rick awakens at the sound of a door slamming. He groans, slapping a hand over his face as he pushes his right cheek further into the pillow. He hums, pulling it into him, hugging it. It smells so good, it's intoxicating. Just like her; this woman he still doesn't know the name of. But he feels like he knows her. He certainly knows her, but he finds he wants more. So much more, and he doesn't care if he just got divorced.

Rick Castle realizes when he's had something good, and once he's had it?

Well...

He turns onto his back. His other arm comes out, expecting to touch soft curves and warm flesh. Instead he is met with a nearly cold spot. His eyes open to the ceiling and his head snaps to the side. And then three things register at once. One. He's hung over. Two. He's alone in that extraordinary woman's bed. And three...he is pretty sure she just walked out her door. He's also sure, that she won't be coming back.

His hand comes off his face, and he sits up. He should have heard the shower click on, or at least some light breathing beside him. Yet, he hears nothing.

He groans again, his head pounding. How much did he drink? More than her he thinks. She seemed incredibly confident of herself as she yanked him by the shirt collar back to her place. Luckily it was only a block from her apartment. They almost didn't make it. She was just so...for once in his life.. he has no words to describe this mysterious women.

But one thing he does know. Is that he wants to solve her. Later...yes later. Because right now he is freezing his naked ass off in someone elses' bed, he's got a raging migraine and he has to get home to his daughter.

Now where are his clothes? He turns to the side of the bed, feet hitting the floor and looks around. He almost laughs when he sees she has thrown them onto the bed next to him. Seems like something he might do, though that hasn't happened in a while. He finds himself smiling, as he pulls his shirt on, starting to button it up as he thinks about her nimble fingers unbuttoning this shirt. The look in her eyes...

He wonders what she was like when she woke up to him in her bed. If she knows who he is, and if perhaps that scared her. She didn't seem to know who he was last night. Didn't ask him as she whispered in the only words of the night to him. Her voice dripping with seduction.

My place or yours?

He shivers. And then shakes himself, pulling on his pants and standing up.

For only a moment, he is hesitant. Should he take a shower? It's unfamiliar and it feels like it's intruding, but he has seen her naked. So there is that. No, he needs to get home to Alexis, he needs to go be a father after one night of being something else. Something he is not sure he wants to be again unless it brings the women he just shared an incredible night with, whose heavenly scent is all around him, back to him again. After a small pause, his mind on her face, the sexy birthmark on her right cheek, and that hair... he finally snaps out of it and rushes through getting ready, the same clothes that smell like alcohol, cigarettes, and the potent scent of cherries.

He thinks about leaving a note, as he makes her bed...maybe leaving his number, but he isn't sure that would be wise, given the strength she used on the door. He got the distinct sense last night...

Oh, God, last night...Wow.

That mouth... If he ever did brag to his poker buddies, or the guys at the gym or at the bar, he is certain this would be the story he would tell. He isn't like that though, so he will have to settle for the glorious memory of what she did to him last night. What he did to her...

Oh, God... He closes his eyes when he reaches the front door. His hand rests on the wood and he can almost feel their heat emanating from it. Feel her lithe body pressed into his as he backed her up against it.

He takes in a shaky breath, fisting his hand and pressing his forehead to the door forcefully. He has no idea who she is. All he knows that the vixen he met last night is only one layer to this magnificent creature. She has truly captured him. With her presence, her body, the magnetism and feelings she rose in him. He doesn't know her name or the sound of her voice. They never spoke... but he knows the curves of her jaw, the sharp green of her eyes, the flecks of brown that shone in them when they darkened with wanton. He knows how to elicit sounds from her kissable lips, feel the vibrations in her throat against his own lips as he coaxed them out of her.

There is a sharp intake of breath, his heart beats achingly against his chest...He wants...he wants so badly to reach for her again, the same desire from last night. When he first laid eyes on her in the club... he didn't think it was possible but it's still rising. There is something about the way they connected, first through eye contact, the unspoken word, followed by the cosmic pull. And then of course, the end result, tangled in her sheets. Sure, he is a man, and it's not like woman don't feel the same deep urges. And maybe it seemed like that as they crashed into her apartment. But it was so much more than that.

He feels as though his senses have been honed, since he met her... Taste, touch, and smell... they all have new meaning for him now. And he thinks.. even if he never sees her again... he will never be able to feel this way for any other woman again.

It could be the alcohol or the romanticism, which it is he isn't sure, but the knowledge of Alexis at home brings him around again. Responsibility calls, and without hesitation he answers. Soon.

Soon he will find her again, find the wonder that is this magnificent creature, but for now, he knows that life calls for his immediate withdrawal.

Soon. He will find her soon...


	4. Chapter Three

Her pen taps vigorously on her desk as she stares at her computer screen. With every phone that rings in the bullpen, the tapping gets harder and quicker, and the crease between her eyes gets deeper. The lights over head seem way too bright. And the general noise of the area is closing in on her ears, causing this pounding in her head that mirrors the uneasy rhythm of her heart. The murder board stands empty by her desk, and her fellow detectives, Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito, avoid eye contact with her as they flick a triangle across their desks at each other.

It's quiet... well, in the sense that there is no case, and most of their paperwork is done. So she sits here looking over cold cases. Her cup of coffee, not even half empty, sits on her desk. Not that it tasted any good anyway. But the boys thought she could use it when she came in here all in a huff and sat forcefully in her chair not at all ready for whatever this day would bring.

Kate feels as though her equilibrium has been tampered with, and she can't wipe the scowl off her face. She's been here for two hours, and already she's snapped at the boys and scared a rookie to the far side of the precinct. And what irritates her more, is that she has no idea why she is so irritated. It's not just one thing either. She woke up more tired then when she went to bed, she's starving, but she feels too sick to eat anything, and she just feels...off.

The phone rings on her desk. Ryan and Esposito spin around in their chairs, hopeful looks plastered on their faces as she snaps the phone up. Not that they want people to get murdered... but they haven't had a case in almost a week and they are beginning to feel uneasy. The boys look at each other and then at Kate as she slams the phone back down too forcefully and stands from her desk.

"Case, Boss?" Ryan asks timidly.

Kate turns towards them with a fire in her eyes. "No," she snaps, turning away from them without another word.

She stalks towards the elevator, a few officer's standing in a group talking about who knows what, part like the red sea, and then scatter when she throws them a look. At the elevator she stands tapping her foot with her arms crossed while she waits for the annoying ping. Once inside she sags against the far wall, finally defusing. She stands in a daze, as the floors tick down, and she almost misses her floor when the doors slide open. Her trance carries her down the long corridors until she's pushing through the double doors and into the morgue where Lanie waits.

"You're late," the ME says, arms crossed, stern look on her face.

Kate stops dead, snapping out of... whatever or wherever she's been, and tilts her head to one side. "Huh?"

"What is wrong with you?" Lanie then says, getting up from her chair where she was writing a report.

Kate hoists herself up onto an empty autopsy table, looking down with actual disgust as the ME uncovers a dead woman on the table in front of her. For once in her life, the sight of a dead body has Kate feeling queasy.

She shrugs, staring down intently at the face of Ms. Jane Doe. She has dark black curls, and a pretty face. She looks to be about mid twenties, and from what Kate can see, aside from a bloated abdomen, probably from decomp, there doesn't seem to be an immediate cause of death.

Lanie glares at her.

"I don't know," Kate finally says, looking away from the corpse. The coffee still lingering on her tongue from earlier, tastes more like acid then normal.

Lanie looks up through her eyelashes, letting the sheet rest over the woman's hips. "Are you feeling okay?" She picks up a scalpel, still staring at her friend, hovering her instrument over the graying flesh.

"No," Kate says. "In all honesty, I don't know what's wrong with me." She deflates on the table, feeling as though she might cry. Her wall is completely down and she doesn't have the energy to reenforce it.

"Well," Lanie replies, placing one gloved hand on her hip still holding the scalpel. "How long as it been?"

"Since?" Kate inclines her head, her voice becoming snappy again.

"You know."

"Since I last ate? Since I slept decently, had a case, last had sex - Since I what?" She raises her arms, and then back down on the cold table beneath her. She's exasperated because it's all of the above.

Lanie fixes her with a look. The classic 'Don't sass me' look. "Since Richard Castle walked in and then out of your life, leaving you a hot brooding mess." She now ignores Kate who gasps appallingly, and crosses her arms firmly over her chest.

Kate looks away as Lane makes her Y incision."I don't know, 2 weeks, and three days." She sighs at how she's been counting.

"Mm hmm." Lanie looks at her almost disapprovingly.

"Does this conversation have a point?" Kate asks, pinching the bridge of her nose, and scooting farther down the table, and away from the now open chest cavity.

"Did you use protection?"

At the same time she asks this, Lanie lifts her hands from the chest cavity, blood dripping from her gloves to place something into a silver basin. Kate, flies off the table and over to a sink to throw up.

"Guess not."

Kate always finds she consults the mirror when something is not right, or she's stressed or just too lost. It's as if she'll find the answers here. Almost like staring at the murder board waiting for something to reveal itself if she stares long enough. And this is no exception as Kate pushes herself into the ladies room when she gets back to homicide. She falls against the sink, gasping for air and catches herself with white knuckles on the cool sink.

Pregnant...with Richard Freaking Castle's baby.

But maybe not...she hasn't taken a test yet. It's just a suspicion...although, her gut is telling her she is. Sometimes her gut tells her more than evidence ever could.

Her chin is touching her chest as she breathes in deeply. And then her gaze slowly rises, her eyes meeting it's twin in the mirror. She can't help that feeling of loss since that night with him, seep back into her. She hasn't been able to get him out of her mind. And it's not just because he's Richard Castle the novelist. Her favorite Author, and safe haven. No. It's much more than that. It runs deeper. On a level she never knew was possible.

She lets herself sink into this feeling for a moment. Go back to how he made her feel... but then, she shakes her head at herself. Get it together. How could this have happened? Well, of course she knows, she's just usually is more careful.. and with her favorite author no less... This must be a dream. Certainly she is dreaming...

The door opens and Esposito pokes his head in."Beckett?"

"Yup?" She looks at him through the mirror, her voice too happy and forced.

He stares for a moment, concern leaking onto his face. "You okay?"

"Fine." She turns around to face him. "What's up?"

"We have a body."

~~~

Kate slams her car door more forcefully then usual, and stands at the car for just a moment. Breathing in deeply, she closes her eyes and berates herself. Just another case. Probably something simple, and then she can go home and figure out her new status.

She nods at herself curtly, opening her eyes and looking across the way at the other police cruisers and yellow caution tape. Ryan is talking to another uniform, and she can vaguely see the outline of Esposito behind a bush. He's talking to someone, probably Lanie. Kate takes in another breath, and walks around a large puddle, her heels clicking on the path to then be replaced with the swish of wet grass.

"What have we got?" She's at least thankful of the steel readiness in her voice, that does not mirror the uneasiness in her chest.

"Don't really know, actually." Esposito uncrosses his arms, and points down. "Our victim is probably mid 30's but we have no I.D just yet, her wallet and purse are missing. Could be a robbery gone wrong, but our vic was pregnant," Esposito says, shading his eyes from the sun with his small notebook.

What are the odds? Not that Kate believes in such things, but she feels like someone is trying to send her a sign. A really messed up, deranged sign. Or it's just a coincidence...

To make herself feel better, she will go with coincidence. But it doesn't help that Lanie is keeping a watchful eye on her, with a look of deep concern and pity. As if Kate's the dead body laying in the park, stomach distended from being very pregnant.

"I'd have to run some more test to be sure, but I would say time of death was between three and seven this morning," Lanie says, crouching down in the wet grass off the path. It had rained the night before, leaving puddles scattered in various places about the park, and Kate can see that Lanie's pant legs are already damp.

But Kate is more focused on her bodies reaction to this case. Her heart is clenching and unclenching painfully, and she thinks she might get sick again. She had just sat down with her coffee at the precinct around seven. And this woman, expecting, lost her life.

"Cause." Kate clears her throat, looking away from the victim. "Cause of death?"

"Childbirth." Lanie replies.

Kate resists the urge to protect her own stomach, and cover her mouth at the same time. "Then why is she in the park, and where is the baby?" She pivots her body, looking around the area of the park. On her last sweep, Lanie stands up. A look suspiciously similar to horror, is etched on her face. It's the look Lanie gets when something doesn't feel right.

Esposito steps around Lanie, and out of the suns raze. "Given the blood, she probably gave birth right here in the park, but there isn't much physical evidence except for the blood near the tree over there." He points off to the right, in the opposite direction of the parks entrance.

Kate follows his gaze, and then back down at the victim. A lump forms in her throat. The deceased has short blonde hair caked with dirt, and she's laid out on her back scrunched a little as if she was in a great deal of pain at one point.

Esposito is still talking. "And clearly there is no new-born. I've got Ryan trying to track down witnesses, but even here, in such a public place, I don't think we are going to get much." He looks sullen. "This is a pretty secluded area of the park, and if she didn't scream or protest, then I don't think we are going to find many witnesses."

Lanie pulls another face, and Kate knows it was meant for her. She has to look away as another pang enters and exits her already quick beating heart. "Alright, let's see if we can find out who the victim is first. Lanie, can you meet me back at the precinct?" She asks the ME, all business now, which makes Lanie raise an eyebrow at her.

Kate turns back to Esposito, "Meanwhile, stay here and get CSU to process the scene and the blood, let's see if we can find something that might lead us to our killer." She turns away from the victim completely. From the sight of the woman's face, once warm, and soft with life.

Kate is quiet for a long time, looking around the park slowly, as if she might catch something they might have missed. Maybe the sound of a baby crying, but she is only met with the common sounds of the park. And the longer she looks, the deeper her heart sinks.

Esposito speaks up when he comes to realize that Kate is otherwise preoccupied. "Yeah, I agree..." He looks at Kate who still has not turned to him, and then at Lanie, with a question in his eyes. " Lanie, can you run toxicology, see if she was on drugs or may have been drugged?" he asks, taking charge now.

"Uh sure…" Lanie stands, peeling off her gloves, and walking over to Kate. She places a hand on her arm lightly.

Kate shares another look with Lanie but thinks this can wait, she moves on to Esposito, "Alright, this doesn't fit with a garden variety mugging, so let's be sure about everything. Meet me back at the precinct when you and Ryan are done canvassing, and we can go over the case there. I'll have the board up too."

Esposito smiles back. "You got it, boss."

~~~

Back at her desk, Kate is bent over with her head between her arms. Ryan and Esposito are not back yet, and she had a hard time getting away from Lanie. It rose suspicion in Esposito at both their behavior, and Kate had to brush it off as just having an off day. Which is a major understatement. But he seemed to take it, to Kate's utter relief. She does not want to talk about this right now.

She pulls her head from between her arms, pushing her hand into her hair and grabbing at her scalp. The murder board is up, with yet another nameless face, and a mystery they all must solve. Kate it trying to wrap her head around it. A woman left in a park, who had died giving birth. Where is the baby? Is the poor thing even still alive?

Kate's phone buzzes, startling her out of her intense pondering. It's Lanie she has some new information. Kate gets up from her chair, hoping that whatever it is will lead them to who this woman is, and where that baby might be.

"Lanie, you got something?" Kate asks as the doors swing open to omit her.

Lanie regards her for a moment, but after receiving a severe look from Kate, she proceeds. "Yeah, I am officially placing the time of death between three and seven this morning," she says in such a way that Kate realizes she's hiding something.

Lanie stands in front of their victim from the park, her eyes staring at the woman's face, but not really seeing. A panic feeling rises in Kate on the look she has on her face. "Lanie," Kate says softly. Lanie looks up, her eyes glassy. "What is it?"

Her face is grave and haunted. "You remember that body I had this morning?" She asks.

Of course Kate remembers, she nods her head.

"Well..." She looks Kate in the eye. "It occurred to me at the crime scene as soon as I got there." She pauses again.

Kate's heart rate quickens for the hundredth time today. "Lanie?" Her voice is shaky and uneven.

"She had also been pregnant, recently..."

"What are you trying to say?" She's not even masking her own building horror.

"Baby, this is so much worse than we could possibly imagine."


	5. Chapter Four

Kate stares at the ME.

"I found the cause," Lanie says, walking around the new victim. "You see these little bruises on the side of her face?" She gestures to them and Kate leans in. There are several purple and bluish marks on either side of the victims graying flesh. Kate's gut turns. It's not like she hasn't seen this before on countless other cases. It's just.. this one hits close to home.

She eternally steals herself. "Yeah, she was strangled?" Her brows furrow, and her eyes skitter over the woman's face.

"Yes, she must have been really out of it too because she didn't fight back at all. She has no defensive wounds on her hands or face." She lifts a hand from the table, while looking at the woman.

Kate's eyes follow and then her head tilts to one side. "Out of it?" The terrible feeling rises further the longer she listens to Lanie's findings.

"Yeah, she was given an anesthetic and delivery was induced." Placing the hand back down, Lanie walks around the table again and points at a needle mark on her hip.

"Wait..wait…so your saying that someone anesthetized her, induced labor, and then killed her?"

Lanie nods gravely.

Kate steps away from table, one hand curling over her mouth while the other goes to her hair. She paces a few times thinking until she turns to Lanie. "They must have wanted the babies, which means this is a baby napping operation." Her voice gets whispery and bridging on terrified. " I need everything you have on the other vic, alright, Lanie?"

"Already done. Here are the files, hopefully this can shed some light." Lanie pulls a file from her desk and passes it over to Kate.

"Alright, anything else?" she asks, wanting to just get the hell out of this room, away from these dead women.

"Three things." She steps away from the vic that just came in, walking over to the freezers and pulling one open. Out rolls the woman from this morning. "She doesn't have any signs of abuse."

Kate's eyes snap down to the woman, and her brow furrows even deeper. "Then how do you know these two are connected? It could just be a coincidence," Kate asks, but she knows she is grasping at straws from the way Lanie shifts her head away from her and purses her lips.

"Because they were both found in parks." She points down at her vic. "She was found in Morning side Park. And, she was induced, just like your vic from Bennet Park."

Kate's mouth opens and closes. "And the drug?"

"Pitocin. It's one of the most commonly used drugs for inducing labor." Lanie then gestures at the file white knuckled in Kate's hand, which Kate opens and reads. When she sees the tox screens are a match she nearly faints.

Lanie must see this, because she walks over and touches Kate's arm soothingly before going back to the other victim. "Last thing, I've pulled the prints off her face and we are running them now, as we are with our other vic, but it would help if we had someone to compare them too."

"You mean they didn't wear gloves?"

"Well, the person who killed her didn't, but I think the person who delivered the baby did. And again, that's exactly true for vic number two."

"Thanks Lanie," Kate says with a far off look on her face and a barely audible voice.

"Hey, please be careful, girl. This one hits far too close to home, especially given your condition." Her eyes drift to Kate's stomach.

She resists looking down and sighs. "I will Lanie, I promise." She turns to leave, her hand on the double doors.

"You still haven't told them?" Lanie's voice is softer now.

"I just…" Kate turns back around. "I won't for a while. I mean... I am not even sure myself."

"Mmhmmm…" Lanie crosses her arms and gives her the signature knowing look.

"Don't mmhmmm me. I know what I am doing!"

~~~

Kate steps into the elevator, the doors closing as her body sinks into itself. Her back hits the far side and she curls forward, both arms wrapped around her abdomen. What if she is growing another human being inside her? Does she really want to bring them out into a world where other people kill each other and sell babies to twisted people who either have no idea, or don't care about how they got them?

The elevator dings before she has time to think further, and Ryan and Esposito are actually standing on the other side waiting for her.

"It's worse than we thought," Kate says, running a hand through her hair and walking to the murder board.

Ryan and Esposito stop and look at each other with equal worry before they run to catch up with Kate who is already writing down the time-line. "What do you mean?" Ryan asks, sitting on the corner of her desk.

"What have we got?" Esposito crosses his arms.

"It's a baby napping operation. They used general anesthesia on both the woman to-"

"Wait, both?" Esposito uncrosses his arms and Ryan's brow raises, blue eyes concerned.

Kate caps the marker and turns towards them. "Yes, Lanie had a case this morning." She pulls it from under her armpit and hands Espo the new case file. "A pregnant woman, and when we got this new vic, she thought it seemed familiar. After running some tests it turns out both woman were pregnant, and both were induced with the same drug."

"So." Ryan stands up and moves to the board. "The kidnappers knock them out, induce, and then take the babies..."

"And then they kill the mothers," Esposito finishes.

All three fall silent in horror.

"But where do they take the babies?" Ryan asks.

"And who are these woman?" Esposito points at the two photos, the latest one Kate just put up from the new file.

Kate chews the inside of her cheek, her hand coming down unconsciously to her stomach. When she realizes what she's doing, she clamps her fist and rests it on her hip."I pulled the case from the first investigative team and the captain has assigned us the case." She points at the file she gave Espo. "After speaking to Hotchins and Aarons, they confirmed that the cases are connected and they have turned over everything they have on the first case. If we need them, we will talk to them, but I want to run both the first and second case together. Have you run her through the system?" she asks, pointing at the latest vic.

"We are now, so far no hits. What about this one?" She looks to Esposito who holds up the file and then back at the board. She bites her lip, staring at the two woman.

"Still nothing." Her hand comes up to her mouth in pondering.

"What about the drug?" Ryan pipes in after a short silence. Or perhaps it was longer than she thought.

"Pitocin." She says, without looking at him. Her eyes scan both pictures of the victims, trying to find a connection. " I doubt we would get anything off of that, Lanie says it's one of the most commonly used drugs for inducing labor."

Both of her fellow detectives faces fall.

"Would you like a coffee, Beckett?" Ryan asks.

Kate turns her head, her eyes softening at the kind Irishman. "No, but thanks Ryan... Can you two go check with canvas? Maybe see if they found a wallet or any form of ID in the park?"

"On it." Ryan gets up and goes to his phone.

"I'll just let you..." Esposito gestures towards the board, and then walks off in the direction of the break room.

She lets out a sigh, falling back into her desk and balancing on the edge. Kate rubs at her face, obscuring the victims from view for a moment so she can gather herself.

~~~

Kate pops a small piece of chicken in her mouth from a container next to her. She's been lost in thought. Both on the case and her own current state. It's not that shes doesn't want kids. She just never thought it would be like this. And alone. She wont go looking for Richard Castle to tell him either. Like he would believe a word she says anyway. He was more drunk then she was and probably doesn't even remember what she looks like. She's a fighter, she can do this on her own. Somehow. But she should really be positive first. She just hasn't the time to do so. And Lanie will be on her ass about it soon. It's just this case...it scares her more than any case ever has.

And these woman...to find out they are going to have a baby, maybe they were scared at first, like Kate. But then they got excited about it, picked out colors for their babies rooms, picked names. But then this happened. Completely morose and twistedly unexpected. How did this happen?

Kate frowns deeply. She's been staring at the board for over an hour and still nothing. The canvas came up empty, aside from figuring out the the woman was not killed at the park, but somewhere else and dumped there almost immediately after her death. And the blood can be explained from the extra fluid from the pregnancy. On top of that, nothing on either prints from the women, or from the marks on the second victims neck. Along with no matches in facial recognition.

"What am I missing?" Kate whispers to herself, setting her fork down and getting up from her chair.

She gets closer to the board, her eyes scanning time of death on both, to where they were found. But then there was the question of, where was her baby? Both victims were found in two different locations. Not even near each other. And yet, both were pregnant, and both were induced with the same drug.

How else where these two connected? How did the kidnappers choose them? It's then she sees it...maybe. Ryan walks up, holding a bottled water out to her.

"Shhhh," she says, putting her hand up.

"Yo, Beckett," Esposito calls from his desk.

Ryan gives him a look, and then Esposito gets up to join them. The two stare at Kate as she looks almost excitingly and unsure between the two photos before pulling them down and taking a better look.

"What do you see?" One of them asks.

"I'm not sure...but it could be something." She hands them each a photo.

Ryan squints at it. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Look at their clothes."

"What about them?" Espo asks next, looking over at Ryan's photo and then back at his.

Kate pokes a finger at both woman. "They are torn, and ragged."

The two male detectives stare at Kate. Both getting these looks on their faces as if they are trying to grasp at whatever she's getting at. Kate sighs, snapping the photos back up. "Why would their clothes be torn? They weren't running, they were induced. And why would pregnant women be wearing such tattered clothing?"

Ryan and Espo look at each other and shrug.

Kate rolls her eyes slamming a finger down on one vic. "And why aren't they in the system? Or at least missing persons." She raises her eyebrows at them, waiting.

"You think we are looking in the wrong place?"

"Yes! I want you guys to take these down to the local homeless shelters. These woman aren't missing, because no one is looking for them."


	6. Chapter Five

When Kate is alone with her thoughts again, she lets a small smile seep onto her face. Miniscule, because it's only a tiny lead. But hopefully it's something. They had checked with hospitals around the areas both woman were found for any newborns that might have been brought in. It was highly unlikely, and of course there was nothing out of the ordinary.

She hopes the babies are all right...She can't imagine what type of person would do such a thing... and seeing as this is a baby napping operation, the babies will be kept healthy. For twisted families who will spend the money for them...it's despicable.

Kate leans back in her chair, looking down at her stomach to place both her hands there. If there is a baby Beckett in there, Kate will do everything in her power to keep them safe. She just needs to be sure. She can process this better when she has either a negative or a positive to look at.

"Beckett."

Kate startles, her hand flying off her stomach and onto her chest. She looks over her shoulder to see Captain Montgomery with his head around his office door.

"My office." He disappears.

Kate frowns, but gets up from her chair, hands dropping to her sides. "Sir?" She asks, stepping into his office.

The man in question sits at his desk comfortably. That steely look on his face that she knows is really just a cover. An act to make his fathering less personal. "How's the case?" he asks.

She stares at him for a moment, wondering why he's asking, and then sighs. "Slow going. I have Ryan and Esposito running down a theory. I should hear back from them soon," she replies trying to sound more hopeful then she feels.

"Good." He's silent for a moment, regarding her. " And you, are you good?"

"Of course." She tries not to clench her jaw or show any indicators.

He nods once. "You seem off today, that's all."

She steels herself. Does he know? Is she being that obvious?

"Just this case," she says running her hand through her hair for better effect.

The older man nods again, seeming to take it. Kate's phone rings and when she goes to open her mouth, he gestures her out the door. She thanks him and steps out.

"What have we got?"

" First vic, Melody Fisher, twenty-eight, was recently homeless when her husband died in a construction accident only a month ago. Her home was foreclosed and she had no next of kin." Esposito fills her in.

Kate places a hand over her mouth walking to the murder board and staring at the picture of Melody. All alone in this world, and pregnant. To have lost her husband, her home, and then this? Kate gives Melody a moment of silence, before uncapping her dry erase marker and filling in the information under her name and photo.

"And the second?" she asks, dropping her attention to the other unfortunate.

Ryan pipes in with the sound of rustling paper, "Olive Garber, Thirty- two. She's been without a job and home longer than our first vic. They both stayed at a woman's shelter in Manhattan on west 46th between 6th and 7th Avenue, called St. Mary's Episcopal."

Kate writes the other woman's name down, feeling a lightness at this new information, but just a little. It's something, but not everything. She wants to bring down the sick bastard who did this.

"Olive's been in and out of various homeless shelters, although she frequented St. Mary's Episcopal Church more often than not. She was hiding from domestic abuse. Her boyfriend a..." She hears the flipping of paper. "Colin Wentworth."

"Check him out," she grits out.

Both make a sound in agreement.

"She's been hiding out for a few months. Father Julian, the shelters supervisor said it was not uncommon for some of the women to just not show up for a while, so he hasn't thought much of these two's disappearances."

"Thanks." Kate's brow creases. "Okay, other than they frequented the same woman's shelter, what else can we dig up that can link these two?" She looks between the two, the smell of the dry erase maker making her feel queasy again.

"Well," Esposito takes his turn. "There is more than one pregnant woman in that particular shelter, and they all go to the same Doctor."

"The Woman's Health Free clinic, also in Manhattan."

"Where?"

"On 16th street."

"Run by a Dr. Pierce McHale," one of them says but she's too excited to pay attention.

"Alright." She caps the marker. "You two go find Olive's ex boyfriend, bring him in for questioning. And I will go to see this doctor.

She hears the ignition. "We're on it."

~~~

Her heels click on the asphalt as she walks across the small parking lot to the main entrance of The Woman's Free health Clinic on 16th Street. The sound, is a sharp contrast to the mush she's feeling on the inside. Her limbs wobbly and her stomach in knots. But the harsh click is a great boost of confidence as she pulls the door open. She's met with baby blue walls of a small sitting area. The usual smell hospitals are known for is evident, along with posters of pregnant woman and different stages of fetuses growing in the womb. Her mind flicks to her own for a brief moment, her eyes on the very first stage and wondering if this is going on right now inside her.

One woman sits in the corner reading a magazine. She rests it on her large stomach and hums happily to herself in the silence of the room. Kate walks around a ficus to the front desk where a African American woman in her early thirties, sits snacking on some grapes and looking at something on the computer.

"Can I help you?" the woman asks, not looking up.

"Yes, you can," Kate says, staring at the woman, reading the tag on her salmon scrubs that just reads 'Simone.'

"Do you have an appointment?" Simone looks up to be met with Kate's badge.

"I don't think I need one," Kate replies, all business.

"What can I do for you, detective?"

"Is Dr. McHale in? I have some questions for him," Kate asks placing her badge back at her hip with her service piece.

Simone sits back in her chair blinking and then looks towards a close door to the left. "He's with a patient right now but he should be available after that. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?" she asks sweetly.

"Maybe you can, do you recognize either of these woman?" Kate pulls out the two photos and pushes them across the counter.

Simone takes them, a flash a familiarity in her eyes. She looks back up at Kate. "Yes, Melody and Olive. Are they okay?"

"No, they were murdered, and their babies were taken from them," Kate says, trying to stay professional.

Simone's hand flies to her mouth to cover a gasp. "Who would do such a thing?" she whispers in horror.

"That's what I am trying to figure out, if you know anything, please let me know."

Simone nods her head several times, and wordlessly hands Kate back the photos. Kate turns away, seeing the woman across the room quickly look back down at her magazine. She has one hand splayed protectively on her stomach, having heard everything Kate said. Kate stares at the space over the woman's head, to the poster. From the look of the woman, she appears to be in her 35th week. 8 months pregnant, with a full grown baby in there. Kate's eyes flick to the first month. If she calculates correctly she could barely be into her second week. As her eyes are about to skip to the other weeks, the door opens near the front desk. Kate turns around to see a woman exiting. She's barely pregnant, or not at all from what Kate can see, but looks can be deceiving.

"I will call you as soon as I get the test results back," an older man says. She can see half his face and graying hair as he stands in the open doorway, one hand on the woman's arm.

"Thank you," the woman replies with a nod and a hopeful smile.

"Simone, can you put down Jane for another appointment in a few weeks?" he asks kindly.

"Of course," she says, tapping a few things on her computer before speaking again, "Dr. McHale?" He looks up from checking his watch. "There is a detective here to see you." She points at Kate with her pen, and the doctor looks around at her.

"Can I help you?" he asks, his voice deep, matching his kind face.

Kate walks over to him and hands him the photos. "Do you recognize these woman?" she asks even though she knows he does. It's just the tedious routine.

He takes a look at them and then gestures her into his office. "I'll be with you in a moment, Iris," he says to the only woman in the waiting room. She nods her head with a smile and he turns back to Kate. When the door is closed he takes a seat behind his desk with a sigh. He sets the photos down on his desk, and looks down at them with his dark green eyes. From what Kate can tell, he looks troubled.

"They were your patients," she says, more than asks.

He nods. "Something happened to them," he says. It's not a question but a somber statement. As though he expected it.

"They were murdered," Kate replies, watching him. His face stays stoic, but his eyes show everything. "And their babies were taken," she adds.

His face falls considerably and he takes in a breath. Pushing the photos a cross the table to Kate, and he finally looks at her. "I feared for them," he says finally, voice grave, "When they both hadn't shown up for their appointments. Olive was scheduled to be in here last week, and Melody was due in today."

Kate takes this in and then has to ask, "Where were you Tuesday between two and eight pm, and Thursday between three and seven am?"

He looks at her like he expected that too and leans back in his chair. " I was here Tuesday with appointments. You can check with Simone, I am sure she can verify. And Thursday I was delivering a baby at Cedar Sanai around seven that night until well into the early morning. A baby girl, born at nine thirteen, seven pounds and six ounces," he replies kindly, his eyes shining at the memory of the birth before his kind face becomes a bit hollow from being accused of doing such a thing to these woman. It's only natural, but Kate has to read into everything as though he is a suspect. And for now he is all they have.

"I'll be sure to check with her."

"If that is all, I have another appointment waiting for me," he says getting up.

She takes this as her cue to leave, and swipes the photos from the desk as she stands up. "Call me if you have anymore information," she says, stepping out of his office and handing him her card.

He nods to her, looking over at Simone, and then gesturing Iris into his office. Kate leaves the clinic feeling as though she has gotten nowhere once again. Of course she will run his financials and his alibi. For now Kate gets into her car, and heads to the morgue to see Lanie.

~~~

Colin Wentworth checks out. He moved across the country over a month ago, and hasn't been back in the states since then. His financials also don't show any suspicious activity, if not only confirm his whereabouts the date of his ex girlfriends murder and his baby kidnapping. He didn't even care. And Kate had wished he had done it. Then at least she could stick his sorry ass for a human being in jail for something, other than being abusive, and even that was not completely knowable.

Now, Kate sits at home, worrying her lip between her teeth and clutching at her scalp as she stares at the pregnancy test strip sitting mysteriously on her living room coffee table. If this doesn't confirm it, Lanie's test will. Kate had gone in after meeting with the doctor to see if she had anything on the fingerprints.

Nothing. Of course.

It was then Lanie kept giving her that look, and she didn't have to ask, before Kate gave in and let her do an anonymous test, with the instructions to take a home pregnancy test and get off her feet because she's been at it all day. And stressing out her mind and body about this case. Then there was the question of Richard Castle again. Which she argued with Lanie for almost half an hour about contacting him and telling him he very well could be expecting a new child. Not that they didn't know he doesn't already have one with his now ex wife. But Kate can't bring herself too. No matter what. Not that she believes in such things.. but maybe there were only supposed to share one amazing night together. And then go off to their own, separate lives.

They have completely different lives, and statuses. He's a famous Author, and she's just a NYPD detective. He's a writer and she's a.. well she doesn't know but she's at least tried to convince herself that it wouldn't work. And the answer on the test staring back at her confirms it. She sighs, snapping it up from the table, and throwing it into the trash before going into her room, and curling up in bed after a very tiring day.

~~~

Kate pushes through the double doors with the news on the tip of her tongue. The ME whirls around from her desk, holding a sheet of paper in her hand and an odd expression on her face. Kate stands frozen in the doorway, her arms out wide holding both doors ajar as she opens her mouth at the same time as her friend.

"I'm Pregnant."

"You're Pregnant."


End file.
